Advertising sign



Aug. 30, 1949. w, FULLER r 2,480,408

ADVERTISING SIGN Filed April 4, 1945 4 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

1m W Fuer BY Him Mal-l AHovnClS.

Aug. 30, 1949. l. w. FULLER 2,480,408

ADVERTISING SIGN Filed A ril 4, 1945 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- Iva WFu-Her A'H'mr neyS,

I. W. FULLER ADVERTISING SIGN Aug. 30, 1949.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 4, 1945 INVENTOR. Ira W. Fuller AHori 8 /5 I. W. FULLER ADVERTISING SIGN Aug. 30, 1949.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 4, 1945 INVENTOR. I ra W. Fu ler and 2, the skeleton framework is indicated generally at 8 and the painted fabric covering at 9. The skeleton framework 8 is formed of a plurality of strands of wire 8a which are bent to the U shape and which are connected by the transverse wires 8b, said wires being so fabricated as to form a skeleton frame having the U shape and also having a desired depth, so that when the skeleton framework is covered by the envelope 9 and the letter is applied to the background, said letter will stand out from the background and constitute a raised letter.

In Figs. 4 and I have illustrated more in detail the construction of the skeleton framework for the letter I. This framework comprises front and rear wire elements Ill, Ifla extending from the top to the bottom of the letter and connected by U-shaped transverse wires I I. The wire elements I0 together with the bridge por tions Hit of the top and bottom transverse wires -II constitute a bounding wire which bounds the front face of the symbol. The rear vertical wires Illa are connected at the top and bottom by wires 3|, and said wires Illa together with the top and bottom connecting wires 3i bound the rear of the symbol.

The ends of the leg portions of the intermediate U-shaped wires I I are welded to the rear vertical wires Illa at 32a and each leg is located in the plane of the two wires In and Illa at the side of the symbol. The bridge portion IIa of each U- shaped wire II which connects the two legs thereof is located in the plane of the front bounding wires I0. Each U-shaped Wire II is bent inwardly ail-32 where each leg joins the bridge portion and said inwardly bent portion 32 eX- tends around inside of the vertical wires III as best seen in Fig. 3.

If desired, additional vertical wires Illc may be used in each side of the skeleton framework, and said wires Illc are located in the plane of the wires I0, Illa. Each leg of the U-shaped wire II is deformed or bent inwardly as shown at 3Ia to extend around the inside of each of the intermediate wires Iflc. All of these wires will be welded together to make a rigid one-piece skeleton frame and by the construction shown best in Fig. 3, a skeleton frame is provided which has a smooth outside face free from any bumps or projections caused by the union of the wires where they cross. This results from the construction wherein each leg of the U-shaped wires II is located in the plane of the corresponding wires IIl, Ifla, while the bridge portion Ila of each U-shaped wire II is located in the plane of the two wires II] at the front of the symbol.

The painted fabric envelope for the letter 1" is indicated at 9 and it is made to fit around the front and side faces of the frame as best seen in Fig. 3. The edges I2 of the envelope are folded around the rear vertical wires Illa and the top and bottom connecting wires 3| and may be stitched or secured to the main body of the fabric in any suitable way as indicated at I3. The fabric envelope covers only the front, the sides, the top and the bottom of the skeleton framework of any letter or symbol, the back being open as clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 5. Since the frame is made so that it presents a smooth exterior surface, the envelope when applied to the frame will have a smooth surface and be free from any unevenness that might mar its effect in the sign. ,This same construction may be used in connection with any of the letters or other symbols or characters constituting the sign and each symbol .4 or character will, therefore, present a hollow wire skeleton frame which is covered on the front, the top, the bottom, and the sides by the painted fabric covering but which is open at the rear. A figure or letter or symbol of this construction is relatively light in weight and even a large letter can be readily handled.

Suitable means are provided for detachably securing each letter or symbol to the background element, and while any desired means may be employed, I prefer to use the attaching means herein illustrated.

The background element is provided near its lower end with a plurality of studs I5 which are shown as mounted on supporting wires IE or the skeleton framework for the background and which are properly spaced to receive the various letters, symbols, etc. The skeleton framework of each letter or symbol carries near its lower end a socket fastener element I! which is adapted to be snapped over the corresponding stud I5. The fastener elements I5, Ilmay have any suitable construction such as are commonly used for glove fasteners or other snap fasteners. In Fig. 5 the socket fastener element I1 is shown as mounted on supporting wires I8 which are spotwelded to the skeleton wire frame.

The skeleton framework for each letter also has at its upper end a retaining loop member IQ of wire presenting two parallel legs 33 which are adapted to receive between them the shank of a headed stud 20 with which the skeleton frame for the background is provided. These headed studs 20 are shown as mounted on supportin wires 22 with which the skeleton framework is provided, and they are properly situated or placed to co-operate with the legs 33 of the retainin loop I9 of the various letters.

In securing any letter or symbol to the background, the letter will be manipulated so that the shank of one of the headed studs 20 of the background will be entered into the space between the legs 33 of the loop I9 of the letter, and then the letter is further manipulated to brin the socket fastener element ll into register with the corresponding stud element I5 and the stud and socket are snapped together. The letter is by this means firmly secured to the background element but can be readily removed by disconnecting the snap fasteners I5, I! and then lifting the letter sufficiently to carry the loop I9 off from the corresponding headed stud 20. When each letter or symbol is thus secured to the background element, the back face of the letter or symbol will be in contact with and restin against the front face of the background as clearly seen in Fig. 1.

A similar construction may be used for removably mounting the background element on its support and in Fig. 1 I have shown a socket element Ila at the lower corner of the skeleton frame 3 for the background element and an open loop I9 near the top of said skeleton framework. The support to which the background element is to be secured will be provided with suitable studs to receive the socket element Ill: and with other suitable headed studs to co-operate with the loop I9.

Whenever it is desired to renew the painted surface of the sign embodying my invention, all that is necessary is to demount the letters, characters or symbols from the background, remove the worn or faded envelope from each letter or symbol and re-cover the skeleton frame of each letter with anewly painted envelope or cover.

When this has been done, the renewed letters can be easily and quickly remounted on the backindividual letters even in a large sign are relatively light and can be easily handled, and the same is true with respect to the background ele- Inent.

Where a sign is of a permanent character, that is not to be changed for a long time, it would be. possible to prepare a plurality of envelopes for each symbol or letter of the sign and have these on hand so that the stock of prepared envelopes could be drawn on whenever it was thought best to renew the surface of the sign.

These envelopes can be painted by hand or by the silk screen process or in any other desirable way.

With the construction herein shown the means for fastening the seperate letters or symbols to the background are entirely concealed and similarly the means for securing the background to its support will be concealed behind the background.

I claim:

1. An advertising sign comprising a supporting background element, a plurality of symbol elements each having a skeleton framework of wire presenting wires which bound the symbol at both the front and back, and also presenting U-shaped transverse wires, each leg of each transverse wire being connected to the vertical bounding wires at the rear of the symbol and being situated in the plane of the two bounding wires at the corresponding side of the symbol, the bridge portion of each transverse wire being located in the plane of the front bounding wires, said transverse wires being bent inwardly where each leg meets the bridge portion to partially encircle the inside of the front bounding wire, said bounding and transverse wires being welded where they cross or meet each other, said wire frame-work thereby presenting smooth faces, a fabric envelope covering the front, each side, the top and bottom of each skeleton framework, each symbol being open at the back, and means for detachably securing each symbol to the background.

2. An advertising sign comprising a background element having a skeleton framework of wire and a fabric envelope covering said framework, a plurality of symbol elements, each also having a skeleton framework of wire and an envelope of fabric covering the front, each side, and top and bottom of the skeleton framework, the back of the latter being uncovered, each symbol element having at the upper end of its open back side an inverted U-shaped attaching member and said background element having at its front face a projecting stud on which the U-shaped attaching element of the symbol may be hung, and a separable fastener for detachably securing the bottom of each symbol element to the background element.

3. An advertising sign comprising a supporting background element, a plurality of symbol elements each having a skeleton framework presenting wires which bound the symbol at both the front and the back, and other intermediate transverse wires located between the top and bottom of the symbol and extending transversely to and connecting the bounding wires at the sides and at the front only, the back of the skeleton framework being free from such intermediate transverse wires and thus being open and unobstructed, an envelope of fabric covering the front, each side, the top and the bottom only of the skeleton framework, the edges of the fabric covering being folded about the bounding wires at the back of the framework and secured to the body of the fabric, the back of the framework which is free from said intermediate transverse wires being uncovered and therefore also free from said fabric covering, and separable fasteners for removably securing each symbol element to the background element, each fastener comprising two separable parts one of which is permanently mounted on the background element, and the other of which is permanently. mounted on the skeleton framework of the symbol.

4. An advertising sign comprising a supporting background element, a plurality of symbol elements each having a skeleton framework presenting wires which bound the symbol at both the front and the back, and other intermediate transverse wires located between the top and bottom of the symbol and extending transversely to and connecting the bounding wires at the sides and at the front only, the back of the skeleton framework being free from such intermediate transverse wires and thus being open and unobstructed, an envelope of fabric covering the front, each side, the top and the bottom only of the skeleton framework, the edges of the fabric covering being folded about the bounding wires at the back of the framework and secured to the body of the fabric, the back of the framework which is free from said intermediate transverse wires being uncovered and therefore also free from said fabric covering, and separable fasteners for removably securing each symbol element to the background element, with the back face of the symbol element in contact with the back- I ground element, each fastener comprising two separable parts one of which is permanently mounted on the background element, and the other of which is permanently mounted on the skeleton framework of the symbol.

IRA W. FULLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,122,164 Schneider Dec. 22, 1914 1,350,302 Eldridge Aug. 24, 1920 1,543,424 Cowles June 23, 1925 1,691,520. Ireland Nov. 13, 1928 1,800,681 Finlay Apr. 14, 1931 2,178,634 Howenstine Nov. '7, 1939 

